Rich Man, Poor Man

RICH MAN, POOR MAN

Mount Hope UMC

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Luke 18:9-14 New Living Translation (NLT)

Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

⁹ Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ¹⁰ “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer^[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! ¹² I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

         The story I’m about to share with you in a minute is attributed to a supposed scenario between Bill Gates and a newspaper vendor.  I don’t know if it’s true, but it sort of speaks to today’s scripture and message.  It goes like this.

Someone asked the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, “Is there anyone richer than you in the world?”  Bill Gates replied, “Yes, there is a person who is richer than me.”  He then narrated a story.

“It was during the time when I wasn’t rich or famous.  I was at the New York Airport when I saw a newspaper vendor.  I wanted to buy one newspaper but found that I didn’t have enough change.  So, I left the idea of buying and returned it to the vendor.  I told him of not having the change. The vendor said, ‘I am giving you this for free.’  On his insistence I took the newspaper.

“Coincidentally, after two to three months, I landed at the same airport and again I was short of change for a newspaper.  The vendor offered me the newspaper again.  I refused and said that I can’t take it for I don’t have change today too.  He said, ‘You can take it, I am sharing this from my profit, I won’t be at loss.’  I took the newspaper.

“After 19 years I became famous and known by people.  Suddenly I remembered that vendor.  I began searching for him and after about 1½ months of searching, I found him.  I asked him, ‘Do you know me?’  He said, ‘Yes, you are Bill Gates.’  I asked him again, ‘Do you remember once you gave me a newspaper for free?”

“The vendor said, ‘Yes, I remember.  I gave you twice.’

“I said, I want to repay the help you had offered me that time.  Whatever you want in your life, tell me, I shall fulfill it.’

“The vendor said, ‘Sir, don’t you think that by doing so you won’t be able to match my help?’  I asked, ‘Why?’  He said, ‘I had helped you when I was a poor newspaper vendor and you are trying to help me now, when you have become the richest man in the world.  How can your help match mine?’

“That day I realized that the newspaper vendor is richer than I am, because he didn’t wait to become rich to help someone.” 

            We think of riches as financial wealth, fancy cars, designer clothing, big homes.  We admire those who have accumulated wealth and, to be honest, we envy their lifestyles a little, wondering why God blessed them with so much and us with so little.  We hear about rock stars, politicians, corporate executives, heirs and heiresses, movie stars, athletes and media personalities donating large sums of money to philanthropic causes and we applaud their generosity and their giving to needy causes.  Yet, many of us don’t realize that while some may truly be invested in the causes they give to, they are giving so that their income is not heavily taxed.  Although the man in the White House has eliminated most charitable giving, the new tax code was designed to provide tax relief for those in the higher, nosebleed income brackets.

            Now Bill Gates did not put himself above the newspaper vendor.  He did not consider himself more righteous…or did he?  He waited 19 years to repay a small debt that could have been paid when he returned to his home.  He waited 19 years when he had more money than he could ever spend in this lifetime to find that newspaper vendor.  The story doesn’t tell us how he went about locating the man, but it does say it only took 1 ½ months.  That’s not a lot of time for a 19 year absence.

            Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, have given away more money than we can even imagine.  They give to philanthropic causes such as clean environment, building schools for African girls and boys.  They established a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to (1) end poverty in developing countries and the US by making sure children and young people have access to quality healthcare and education; (2) to empower the poorest, especially women and girls by giving them tools to lead healthy, productive lives and to lift themselves from poverty; (3) to combat infectious diseases among the poor who have limited access to quality healthcare; and (4) social justice initiatives to change public policies, attitudes and behaviors.  But are they righteous?  We really don’t know.

            The man who occupies the White House is reportedly a very wealthy man.  Afterall, he tells us he is.  He tells us he is a very smart man, smarter than most.  He tells us he has a high IQ and that he went to the best schools.  But we know from his actions that he has a bitter, unrepentant heart.  He surrounds himself with educated people, but he doesn’t listen to their advice.  He puts himself above others and actually thinks in his position that he is above the law.  He boasts of his self-proclaimed accomplishments and his denigrates and retaliates against his enemies.  And his enemies are anyone who does not agree with him.  He claims to be a Christian, but in the 3 years he’s been in the White House, we’ve never heard of him attending a church, even though attending a church is not evidence of being a Christian.  He has a number of Pastors who advise and support him.  But is he righteous? 

            It is not for us to judge who is and who isn’t righteous.  But in Gospels of Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4, Jesus tells the story in the Temple of the widow who had two mites.  Two mites together are worth a quadran, the smallest Roman coin.  That would be equivalent to a penny to us.  He says that he sees the rich putting their gifts in the treasury and he also saw a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  He says that the poor widow has put in more than all because the rich gave out of their abundance, but the widow gave all she had out of her poverty.  The rich gave because they had much to give.  The widow gave because it was all she had.

People need to understand that the truly rich are those who possess a rich heart rather than lots of money.  Luke 6:45 (nlt) says, “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.  What you say flows from what is in your heart.”  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

See, the Pharisee was interested in impressing God with his abundant giving and reciting all the rituals he performs in accordance with the Law of Moses, but he never considered himself a sinner.  He never repented of any wrongdoing because in his mind he was perfect.

However, the despised tax collector whom everyone hated because they were mostly unjust and greedy.  They padded the tax bills so they could receive a kickback and people knew it, but they wielded so much power and authority, no one dared not to pay them what they asked.  But this one.  This tax collector knew that he had sinned.  He prayed for forgiveness.

See, church, it doesn’t matter how much money we have.  It doesn’t matter how many fine clothes, cars or jewelry we have.  It doesn’t matter about the big job we have.  If we are not humble and honest like that tax collector, we are like the Pharisee.

Let me share another example with you.  I know a woman who loves megachurches because of the famous musicians who are associated with the church.  She moves from one megachurch to another and boasts about these musicians knowing her and her calling them by their first names.  I told her I was not impressed with dropping names.  I had been associated with some pretty famous people and we were good friends, but I never mention their names to anyone.  I told her that I Iearned a long time ago when I worked in the federal government in the office of a pretty prestigious person that we all put our pants on one leg at a time.  I have dated famous musicians and songwriters.  I have worked in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.  I have socialized with the jet set.  They just like us, only with more money and prestige.  Some are nice and some are not so nice.

            There are those who like to make a big show out of what they have.  I’ve seen guys pull wads of bills out of their pockets to impress a young woman but wouldn’t give her a dime to keep her electric or gas on, or help feed her kids who have been abandoned by their birth father.  I’ve seen folk strut like peacocks to show off their designer clothing or expensive jewelry, their furs and their initial logo handbags and not have a dime in the bank.

            But I’ve also seen folk work two and three jobs so their children could have a better life than they had.  I’ve seen people give their last dime so that someone else could have a meal or pay rent.  Are they righteous?   

            Jesus told the disciples that they would always have the poor with them.  Does that mean we just ignore them and keep moving?  Does that make us righteous?  No.  Proverbs 19:17 (NIV) says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

            Deuteronomy 15:11 says, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land.  Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to our brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’”

            Ezekiel 16:49 (ESV) – “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom; she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.”

            How do these verses speak to you?  What are they saying?  How are we, as a church, helping our poor neighbors?  We have people right here at Mount Hope living on the edge of poverty.  Some are living in poverty.  I keep thinking about Brother Greg Carter.  He opened wide his doors to let the homeless and needy in.  He feed them and asked for nothing in return.  He scoffed when his family and friends told him he was being taken advantage of.  Yet, he kept on giving.  He kept on helping.  And he never said a mumbling word to anyone.  He didn’t ask for any assistance or help.  He gave out of the abundance of his humble heart.  We have a lot to learn from his life and the life of others like him.

How can we reach out to our poor community and provide for their needs?  How can we be more humble and more righteous? 

The Amplified version in 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].”  Paul is not talking about tithing or money.  He is talking about helping those who are unable to help themselves.  Let us take a lesson from the tax collector and the widow and maybe even Bill Gates.

May we give with no expectation of repayment.  May we love with open hearts.  And may we always love our neighbors as ourselves.